Cyber Access

Copyright © 2012 Knowledge Point

Cyber Access


Learning Objectives

The objectives of this module are to:

• Introduce the concept of Cyber Access

• Promote government initiatives to bridge the digital divide

• Provide information on how and where to access the Internet

• Provide information on how people with disabilities can use technology

• Demonstrate positive attitudes towards the use of technology


Definition

• Access means “the ability to enter”, or “pass to or from a place”, or “to communicate with a person or thing”.

• The new century has brought many new challenges for humanity including the technological advancements and achievements that have resulted due to globalization.

• Therefore, we should not be carried away with these advancements. We should not allow ourselves to become slave to new technology.

• Cyber Access is about understanding the privilege of using electronic information as well as the right to having equal, secure and reliable access


What is digital divide?

• Digital divide refers to the difference among nations in the ability of accessing global information infrastructures, the difference between those who have access to computers and the Internet and those who do not.

• Digital Access Index (DAI), a term coined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) helps to measure the overall ability of people in a particular country to get access and use Information and Communication Technologies.

• The five categories mentioned in the DAI are illustrated as follows:


ICT in the Arab Nation

Top 5 DAI Ranking• On the latest global DAI, the UAE is the highest ranked Arab nation at 34th

place with a 0.64 access rating, followed by Bahrain at 38th place with 0.60.


ICT in the Arab Nation..

Top 5 IDI Ranking• The ITU also developed the ICT Development Index (IDI) which ranked the

UAE highest country in the Arab State region and 29th globally

• As the IDI consists of 159 countries, this allows measuring on both global and regional levels. Each of these countries is classified into one of the four groups (higher, upper, medium and low) that describe the level of ICT in the economy.


How can we access the Internet?

• In the old days, people depended on newspapers, magazines, books and other printed materials to get information. Now, we depend more on the Internet.



• Today we have many ways of accessing the Internet. They are:

Modem - most manufacturers produced built-in modems in their computer. Even most hotels took the initiatives to provide data ports or modular plugs in their rooms.

Public Internet Services - many establishments have started to provide broadband networking. User may need to pay a small fee to use the services. Such as colleges and universities, commercial places (eg. Hotel business centers, conference centers and airports) and Internet or cyber cafes.



Open and Paid Wi-Fi Wireless Internet Access – Many countries have started to build Wi-Fi Internet hotspots, either for free or with a minimal fee. Example: Airports, libraries and cafes.

Cellular Phones and PDAs - The advantage of using mobile phones to connect to the Internet is that they are affordable and convenient.


Why Information Access is a Global Issue?

• The great imbalance of Internet access throughout the world has created a digital divide.

• The reasons that contribute towards this digital divide are: Shortage of ICT infrastructures Lack of skills and capacities in institutions Financial restrictions Poor participation in development program.


An Insight: How UAE Addresses its Digital DivideIssues?

• In UAE, present efforts to narrow the digital divide include: enhancing ICT-related services offering more affordable products setting up more tele-centres Review tariff telephones and Internet tariff campaigns to promote personal computer ownership

• To promote the use of ICT, efforts have been made to increase the development of web content and software applications


How UAE Addresses its Digital DivideIssues?

• For information society development in the Middle East, internet penetration is high in the richer countries but not for those which are just emerging on the market Internet

• Penetration in Qatar is predicted to advance the most in terms of percentage, from about 57.2% in 2011 to 82.8% by 2015.

• The second biggest increase is forecast in Saudi Arabia, with its penetration rising to 66% by 2015 from 52.5% in 2011

• One of the most e-ready states in the region is the UAE, whose Internet penetration can be seen reaching 89% in the forecast period








Various Government Initiatives to Facilitate Digital Access by the Public

United Arab Emirates

• UAE implemented fiber optics which enabled subscribers to watch TV channels on their computers anywhere and transfer calls from mobile phones to fixed phones at home.

• This will link about 900,000 homes in the state network – 303,600 homes in Abu Dhabi, 337,400 homes in Dubai and 254,700 homes in the Northern Emirates.

• The rate of achievement in the fiber optic linked houses is 116%.

• UAE is now looking to expand its fiber optic network to make Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, fully connected through fiber optic cable this year (2011).



Seoul, South Korea

• South Korea is known to be one of the most advanced countries in terms of information technology. Internet is available in just about every corner of Seoul. Being the capital of South Korea, it is also known as the centre for the world’s largest telecommunication and technology companies such as Samsung, LG and KT Corporation.

• With a population of about 10 million, Seoul is also considered to be one of the world’s largest metropolises that housing some of the most advanced technological infrastructures.

• On the Digital Opportunity Index, Seoul takes first place as it has the highest penetration of Broadband Internet and 83% of its households have Internet connection.



Amsterdam, Netherlands

• Amsterdam is well-known to be one of the most connected cities in Western Europe. The Internet is available in even the most remote sections of town, and it is said that you can actually access the Internet even if you are riding a bike. Household Internet penetration rate is 83% and expected to increase to 88% by 2013.

• In 2008, Wimax, Amsterdam’s on-the-go broadband Internet service was launched by Worldmax for personal computers. In June 2009, another service was introduced known as Aerea. This service offers users the ability to connect to the Internet from anywhere in the city for only €9.95 per month. Users can also choose to buy a prepaid balance for a month, a week or even just one day.



Hong Kong, China

• Hong Kong is another one of the most connected cities in the world. The household penetration rate is 72%, and expected to increase to 80% by 2013.

• Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN) is known as the leading and most innovative provider of fast connections in Hong Kong. It provides Internet access with a speed of up to 1Gbps, as well as broadband TV and phone services. HKBN also offers unlimited broadband access with a speed of 100Mbps for only US$34 per month – making Internet service in Hong Kong is not just fast and stable, but it is also cheap and affordable.



Finland

• Finland has become the first country in the world to declare broadband Internet access a legal right. Currently about 95 per cent of its population have some sort of Internet access.

• In June 2009, France’s highest court also declared Internet access as a human right. But Finland went a step further by legally mandating speed.

• Starting in July 2009, telecommunication companies in Finland will be required to provide all of its 5.2 million citizens with Internet connection that runs at speeds of at least 1 megabit per second. Furthermore, the country is aiming for speeds that are 100 times faster; 100 megabits per second by 2015.


Case Study: Fast Internet Access Becomes a Legal Right in Finland

• All 5.2 million of Finland’s citizens now have the right to broadband Internet access with speeds of at least 1 megabit per second. According to Laura Vilkkonen, the legislative counselor for the Ministry of Transport and Communications, this 1 megabit mandate is only an intermediary step. The country is now aiming for 100 megabits per second by 2015.

• "We think it's something you cannot live without in modern society. Like banking services or water or electricity, you need Internet connection," Vilkkonen said.

• Although 95 percent of Finland’s population already have some kind of Internet access, the law is intended to bring access to rural areas. The United States is also pushing for Internet access to be a human right. France’s highest court once announced such access as a human right but Finland has gone a step ahead by mandating speed.

(15 October, 2009, http://articles.cnn.com/2009-1015/tech/finland.internet.rights_1_internet-access-fastinternetmegabit?_s=PM:TECH)

http://articles.cnn.com/2009-1015/tech/finland.internet.rights_1_internet-access-fastinternetmegabit?_s=PM:TECH










Case Study: Iran's judiciary lays down new strict rules on Internet

From: http://www.albawaba.com/news/irans-judiciary-lays-down-new-strict-rules-internet

http://www.albawaba.com/news/irans-judiciary-lays-down-new-strict-rules-internet


Case Study: Guinea – Country with Low Internet Connectivity

From: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqz8HtLJRVI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqz8HtLJRVI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqz8HtLJRVI


Report: UAE Rankings in Various International Studies

• The World Economic Forum’s 2009-2010 Networked Readiness Index (NRI) study assesses an economy’s capability of fully leveraging ICT for greater competitiveness and development. It is based on a collection of data by the ITU, World Bank, and United Nations.

• As published in The Global Information Technology Report 2009-2010, the NRI placed the UAE 1st among all Arab states and 23rd out of 133 countries evaluated.



• Specific ICT indicators placed the UAE first in all the Arab states for the following: Internet user rates International internet bandwidth capacity The importance of ICT to Government vision of the future ICT use and Government efficiency e-Government readiness index Presence of ICT in Government agencies The number of telephone lines.



• Currently the UAE ranked, 1st in mobile penetration rate

2nd in e-Government readiness index

2nd in the importance of ICT to Government vision of the future

2nd in Government success in ICT promotion

2nd in ICT use and Government efficiency

2nd in Government procurement of advanced technologies products


The Importance of Government’s Role

• Governments play an important role as intermediaries in linking individuals to information. The following illustrations help to explain how this occurs


The Importance of Government’s Role


Instilling the Right Attitude

There are many ways to influence attitude. In this module we focus on two:Appreciating digital facilities Being responsible when sharing knowledge

and information

• We should not misuse facilities to surf or post pornographic materials, engage in illegal gambling or other immoral activities

• We should not spread fabricated or incorrect information and news.

• We should not vandalise Internet kiosks

• We should not condemn others through blogs, websites, or community portals, because it may aggravate negative feelings and result in chaos and even civil wars.

• We should not overwhelm the bandwidth by downloading big files during peak hours

• We should be sensitive towards different races and ethnic groups, religious beliefs as well as the needs of the nation.

• We should not hack the network


Equal Opportunities of Electronic Involvement for the Disabled

• People with disabilities have a more difficult time trying to access information from the Internet.

• People with such disabilities can be divided into four main types: Motor impairments Visual impairments or blindness Language and cognitive disabilities Hearing impairments or deafness


Motor Impairments

• Motor impairments can cause difficulty to users especially when they need to use a mouse. As most buttons are small in size, it can be difficult to click them. However, they can use keyboard commands instead of using a mouse. For example, you can use the tab key to navigate, or use shortcut keys such as Ctrl+C to copy.


Visual Impairments or Blindness

• One common way that visually impaired people access information displayed on a screen is by enlarging or enhancing the area of focus. By adjusting fonts, cursors and colours, users will be able to view and use programs easier as well as see what is on the screen better.

• People who are colour blind have a better possibility of accessing software when the colour coding is redundant with other means of conveying information. Programs should also be able to run in a monochrome mode, while colours differing in darkness should be used.

• Screen reading software can help users to read Web pages by converting the text displayed into speech form, hence easier Internet navigation.


Language and Cognitive Disability

• People with this disability require layouts that are simple and consistent. This means that the layouts must be designed in the most simple and straightforward way possible.

• It also helps if they are provided with screen reading software when they using the Internet.


Hearing Impairments and Deafness

• A number of people cannot hear audio due to some form of hearing impairment. Due to this problem, it is advised that all auditory information also include visual forms.


Case Study: Web Accessibility for people with Disabilities

From: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kziXJX6a7E4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kziXJX6a7E4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kziXJX6a7E4

Cyber Access

Documents